Harrisburg, PA, Sanitation Worker Spots Man Setting Fire to Store

A sanitation worker was picking up garbage early Monday morning at a Family Dollar in Harrisburg when he saw a man setting fire to the back of the store.

The worker’s quick call to 911 around 3:45 a.m. saved the building on the 900 block of South 13th Street from extensive fire damage and helped police arrest Abdiel Angueira-Vazquez, 30, who was charged with arson.

Harrisburg Bureau of Fire Chief Brian Enterline said if the worker’s call had come even minutes later, the fire would have made it to the roof of the building, “which was a rubber roof and probably would have burned a significant portion of the roof off.”

Enterline said the fire department is still investigating what accelerant or material was used to start the fire. He said the fire destroyed an HVAC unit and burned part of the building’s exterior, as well as a small part of the roof. There was no damage inside the store.

In court documents, Harrisburg police said a 911 caller reported the fire and said the suspect was wearing black and red shirts with black pants.

The store was on fire when Harrisburg police arrived. An affidavit of probable cause said police soon found Angueira-Vazquez at South 16th and Sycamore streets, wearing clothing matching the 911 caller’s description.

Police forced Angueria-Vazquez to the ground on his abdomen and put him in handcuffs. According to the affidavit, he had a “distinct odor” that police believe came from a drug that could have altered his mental state.

The witness identified Angueria-Vaquez as the man he’d seen behind the Family Dollar at the time of the fire, according to the affidavit.

Enterline said replacing the HVAC unit will cost Family Dollar at least $50,000 to $60,000. The store remains closed.

“From a fire standpoint, small fire, but from a business disruption and loss standpoint, significant,” Enterline said.

In addition to arson, Angueria-Vazquez was charged with resisting arrest, a misdemeanor, and a summary count of public drunkenness.

Angueria-Vazquez is homeless, according to court records. He was unable to post $25,000 bail and is being held at Dauphin County Prison.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Sept. 23 before Magisterial District Judge Paul Zozos.

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